In January or February you will be able to buy ugly bitter Seville oranges that make the most exquisite marmalade from any good farm shop. Marmalade could not be simpler, I know people get worried about the setting point and so on but really when you know a couple of the secrets its the simplest thing! Watch the video for more setting tips :0)

So here you go…

APRICOT & SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE

3lbs Seville Oranges
2 Lemons
2 cans (400g cans) of apricot halves in juice/syrup
5lbs granulated sugar                       (makes about 15 x 190ml jars)

Day 1

Put 4 pints water into a preserving pan with the clean and de-twigged oranges. Boil then simmer covered for one hour.

Day 2

Take the cooled cooked oranges out of the liquid and remove pith and pips retaining them in a muslin bag. make sure you retain the cooking liquid in the pan! Chop the orange peel to required fineness and return to the pan with the pip bag. Cover and leave to steep overnight, this will release the pectin from the pips.

Day 3

Chill a saucer in the fridge.

Empty the contents of the pip bag into a stainless steel sieve and push the squishy stuff through into the marmalade pan. you can put some of the cooking liquid through to help water it down a bit, keep squishing till you have just the pips left and discard them.

Put the marmalade on the stove and boil rapidly for five minutes.

Now remove the marmalade from the heat and GRADUALLY add the sugar, stir for as long as it takes to dissolve all the sugar. This is important to ensure it doesn’t crystallise in the jars later.

Now return to the heat and bring to a RAPID boil. as soon as you are at a really rapid boil time 25 minutes then test.

After 25 minutes spoon a little of the marmalade on to the cold saucer from the fridge, and let it cool back in the fridge for a couple of minutes. You can tell – when it has cooled – if you have a ‘set’ by pushing the mixture with your little finger: if it has a really crinkly skin, it is set. If not, continue to boil the marmalade and give it the same test at about 5-minute intervals until it does set. This will set quite reliably at 25 minutes provided you have a good heat in the pan. avoid windows and door being open causing draught, it needs to reach 105 degrees c!

After you achieve your set, remove the pan from the heat. Leave the marmalade to settle for 15 minutes. In the meantime, the jars should be washed, dried and heated in a moderate oven for 5 minutes at 110 degrees. Pour the marmalade, with the aid of a funnel and ladle, into the jars, cover with waxed discs and seal while still hot. Label when cold and store in a dry, cool, dark place.